Cover of the book titled 'Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole': 1857

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Cover of the book titled 'Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole' written by Mary Seacole. This book was published as a 'yellow back' book, the memoir records Mary Seacole, a black Jamaican woman's, experience of nursing in South America and the Crimea. The front cover bears a colour illustration of Seacole and the book has an inserted print of Seacole at work in her 'hotel' in the Crimea. Mary Seacole was born in Jamaica in 1805, the daughter of a free Black woman and a Scottish army officer. When war broke out in the Crimea between Britain and Russia, Seacole travelled to London, eager to join Florence Nightingale's team of nurses. They refused to employ her, which Seacole suspected was due to racism. Undeterred, she travelled to the Crimea herself and set up a 'hotel' near the front line.